This spacious & extensively remodeled home, in a wonderful neighborhood, is just the one you’ve been waiting for! The inviting floor plan flows effortless from room to room and features a great-room with a large granite entertainment island, chef’s kitchen with stainless Viking appliances and direct access to the sunny deck, luxurious master suite with oppulent marble bathroom. Huge 3-car garage!

It also features extra commas and way too much High on that Dynamic Range. Sheesh, they must have dialed that sky up to 11. This listing is definitely in the picture is worth a thousand words category.

Nothing like a house marketed during Spring Bounce reminding us that Christmas comes but once a year. However, boat tchotchkes seem like they’re sailing in constantly.

Not only does the TV work, there’s some semblance of a back yard to this place.

However since wine is not a boat, the racks are empty. We’re also showing the laundry room because these appliances might not quite go with the carpet.

We also have a theory why this house isn’t selling in such a sizzling hot market. It has something to do with that sunny deck above, too. There may be good reasons to stay inside by the ginormous granite island instead.

Bunus:Virtual Tour complete with animated book reminds you this isn’t Hogwarts.

January 19, 2013

Everyone knows that Silicon Valley is the best place to launch a startup. But what if you have a brilliant idea and want to move to the area to network with all those brilliant people, but you are held back by two things?

1. You aren’t an American citizen (or non-citizen who managed to snag Permanent Residency), and

2. You don’t have enough cash that Immigration would wave you through the line

Take a Good Look at Me, I’m on a Futhermucking Boat!

Blueseed claims to have solved this problem. All you need is a short-term visa, because you’re not staying in the United States. Instead, you’re staying on a futhermucking boat outside the 12 nautical mile limit of the U.S. (The 12–24 mile zone is also known as the contiguous zone.) Blueseed plans to build some kind of floating city 12 nautical miles beyond Half Moon Bay and run twice daily ferries to the mainland. And by “floating city,” they mean raft-up.

Your job, dear Burbed readers, is to figure out if this is a project by The Onion or whether these people are actually serious. But get this. They’re charging “a combination of rent and equity.” Does this mean you would not be a rentard aboard?

Top 10 Facts about Blueseed

1 Who is this for? – The world’s best entrepreneurs and visionariesThe boldest, brightest, and most talented tech entrepreneurs from around the world. Plus the individuals and organizations that support and invest in them. 1100+ have already expressed interest.

Yes, you’re about to be priced out forever. Again!

2 Where will it be? – Right near Silicon ValleyOn a ship anchored half an hour (12 miles) from Silicon Valley, in international waters outside the jurisdiction of the United States.

But well within drone strike range. So don’t get cute with the industrial espionage.

3 What does it cost? – Around $1,600 USD/person/monthWe’ll charge a combination of rent and equity to accommodate the stage of your startup. The price per person will include living and office space, and will range from $1200 for a shared cabin to $3000 for a top-tier single accommodation cabin.

And you better spring for that top-tier single, or it won’t be Special. Come on, you want to live in the Real Boat Area, don’t you? Avoid the cabins on busy hallways, or next to the helipad.

4 Why should it be done? – Because innovation is awesomeThe world’s best entrepreneurs should be able to gather and collaborate in one place, and not be limited by antiquated work visa restrictions.

And if those antiquated work restrictions force you to move onto a cast-off cruise ship, then you can make lemonade out of lemons, provided you’re willing to call lemon juice lemonade.

5 How can I get aboard? – Do something that matters, and be awesomeGet referred to us through a reputable angel, venture capital firm, entrepreneurs network, or trusted contact. Or surprise us.

Throw yer grapple and haul yerself aboard, matey! Why not commit a little actual piracy so you can convince us you want to work on the digital variety?

6 Can I legally work? – On Blueseed, yes.You can legally earn an income working on your startup while on the Blueseed vessel regardless of your nationality, but you can’t legally earn a paycheck while visiting the mainland, unless you have a US work visa or are a US permanent resident.

So please don’t do anything more useful than winning a round of Angry Birds when leaving the boat.

7 Can I travel to the mainland? – YesYou can travel to the mainland using business/tourist visas (B1/B2), for up to 180 days/year (these are significantly easier to obtain than work-visas). US residents can travel to Blueseed at any time.

Unless they’ve already been vaporized by a drone strike. Sorry!

8 What happens when I succeed and outgrow Blueseed? – We help you move to the mainland.Silicon Valley is the best place in the world to scale a company, and once you’re large enough there are legal channels available to move into Silicon Valley proper. We will provide you with the resources and contacts you need to make the transition.

9 When are you launching? – End of 2013We plan to launch between Q4 2013 and Q1 2014.

You know how those house construction projects always run late? What do you think would happen if you tried building all this in the Pacific Ocean? That’s why we said we plan to launch then, not that we would.

10 My organization supports startups, how do I join the project? – Partner up or Contact usWe’re primarily looking for incubators, support networks, and individuals or organizations that make our environment more awesome while solving a startup’s problems.

Blueseed is already pitching themselves as a relative bargain compared to actually living in Silicon Valley. The rent (starting at $1200 a month for shared living space, mind you) also includes collaborative office space, more conventionally known as “good luck finding a seat somewhere in here.”

And while you won’t need a suitcase full of cash (as you would for an EB-5 investor visa), you would need to deposit enough money to pay for your ticket home.

Maybe the folks running Blueseed could invest your ticket deposits by buying a place near Google. Now that’s some equity.

September 24, 2012

Good morning, Burbed readers! It’s time for another wonderful week of wigwam winning, only we’re too danged wiped out to do anything about it. That’s where our readers come in!

Burbed reader mabel du has graciously sent in a real estate find, complete with a very appropriate set of commentary. That means mabel du is today’s Guest Blogger, so we’re going back to bed. Please give mabel du a big, warm, Real Bay Area welcome with this guest post: a hella-fine hacienda in Half Moon Bay. And somebody, please get this blogger a keyboard that includes a SHIFT key.

Want to see your name in lights as one of our Guest Bloggers? Send in your best (by which we mean worst) property listing with your best (by which we really do mean best) writeup!

Break away from the crowd and live your dream. Work and live on the ocean while minutes from town. Unobstructed ocean view, private mixed-use building. first floor for retail, second floor for large work space. third floor portion of 200 sqft offers 180 degree ocean and white sand beach views. 2 beds, 2 baths, with state of the art kitchen.

and now, for something completely different. as in, not in Mountain View (still the reigning center of the universe).

someone’s been trying to unload this fortress/prison/ugly thang for 4 years, and have run through a few realtors in their misguided attempt to make a profit in a declining market. i hear concrete prices are way up; might make more sense to try that route instead of the overpriced beach fortress with a view.

nice views? yep. nice house? not so much.

sold in 2005 for $3.1 mill at the top of the market. i’m sure the current owner is completely confused as to why this concrete monster hasn’t sold for a profit – in the past 4 years of listings.

24.65 acres of expansive flat land with breathtaking ocean frontage. Property extends from Highway 1 to the beach affording unobstructed views of the Pacific Ocean; located 15 minutes from the Peninsula and a short walk to the Historic Town of Half Moon Bay, the Ritz Carlton and two championship golf courses. Existing structures include a residence, barn, in-law apart. ,artist studio, garage.

Thanks to Burbed reader John for this find!

Here’s what John had to say:

Noticed from the price history of the following property that it was sold in foreclosure recently for $425,000 and appears to have been put right back on the market for $4,900,000. Anyway, thought some of your readers might be interested in it as it has been listed as high as 35 million in the past few years. It was originally owned by the DuPont family and had a airstrip for air races to entertain their guests – you can still see what’s left of the airstrip on northern edge of property.

Wow, that’s a lot of history. Just think, if you buy this right now, you’re picking up $30M in instant equity! And… your own airstrip for those times when you need to get away!

Alternatively, you could rent out parts of it – that’d be pretty cool too.

Either way, this deal is hard to beat. Now… if only stated income loans were still available!

OCEAN FRONT HOME ON LEASED LAND. THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST SPECTACULAR BEACHES YOU’VE EVER SEEN!!LOOK WHERE YOU CAN LIVE. DOES IT GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS? HOME NEEDS SOME TLC BUT THE VIEW IS TO DIE FOR.

It’s Black Friday week! The search is on for DEALS DEALS DEALS!

This is the cheapest property in all of San Mateo county! And what a deal! Sure it needs some TLC, but at $109k, this is basically a stocking stuffer for your beach loving son/daughter!

Look, the view is to die for!

Oops… hold on… I’ve got a call from Oceanic Airlines. They’re askin
g for Jacob – has he seen their plane? No… must be a wrong number call.

The end of Half Moon Bay?

HALF MOON BAY — Between budget losses and lawsuit payments, Half Moon Bay’s financials have become so dire that if a local sales tax measure doesn’t pass this November, officials say they may have to disincorporate.

City leaders have been using the "D" word for a few weeks now as they try to persuade voters to pass Measure K, a one-cent sales tax increase that would help the city balance its budget with an extra infusion of $1.4 million per year for the next seven years.

Dissolving Half Moon Bay — handing the city’s budget, operations and services to San Mateo County — would be an absolute last resort, but the city may not have many other options left, City Councilman John Muller said.

"The council has done everything in its power to keep the city whole," Muller said. "If it doesn’t pass, we could seriously not be in business much longer."

Half Moon Bay was never part of the Real Bay Area, what with the pumpkins and the fog and being on the other end of Highway 92. But now they’re talking about quitting as a municipal entity and turning over the keys to San Mateo County. There’s nothing left to pay the bills.

City Manager Michael Dolder admits disincorporation is one of the options on the table now. The City Council already cut $900,000 from the current budget — including half its employees — and imposed furloughs on those who remain. Some of the cuts were needed to pay for the Beachwood lawsuit settlement, a $15 million burden the city will shoulder in bond payments for the next 20 years.

It’s not clear this would bail the residents out of their woes. If San Mateo County steps in, they get the property taxes, the hotel taxes, the sales taxes. But the county doesn’t assume any liabilities. HMB has those bonds outstanding, and the debt would transfer to every city real estate owner, via liens placed on their properties. Another joy of homeownership! Bet you never thought of that one!

"The costs don’t go away just because the cities go away. You still need to provide the services. You still have the same problems out there," explained Bob Adler, Assistant Controller for the county.

Plenty of cities have been cutting services and letting workers go. But there are other cities considering the same thing, most of them nowhere near the RBA. We hope. But Half Moon Bay can’t be the only one, or why would unions be pushing for new legislation preventing cities from disincorporating without explaining why to a commission?

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The posts on this weblog are provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confer no rights. The opinions expressed herein are my own personal opinions and only represent the view of Burbed.com's editor. Comments are the views of commenters, not Burbed. If companies, properties, etc are mentioned on this blog, you should assume that I have a financial stake in them. Trust no one.